


Connections

by spacark



Category: Inazuma Eleven, Inazuma Eleven GO
Genre: F/M, OG&GO character friendship, Pegasus boy bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25105549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacark/pseuds/spacark
Summary: Tenma meets Ichinose, who finally decided to visit Aki in Japan again.
Relationships: Ichinose Kazuya & Matsukaze Tenma, Ichinose Kazuya/Kino Aki
Kudos: 29





	Connections

"I'm hoooome!" Tenma shouted as he ran towards the manor's entrance, expecting to be greeted by either the landlady Aki or his dog Sasuke. Of course, at times there was another person from the manor who would be around, but today it was a bit different. Sasuke was there, and so was Aki, sweeping the front porch - but also a third person who most certainly did not live there. He was sitting close to Sasuke's dog house, with the dog having put his always so lazy head right on his lap. The person was petting the dog's head while happily talking to Aki. Tenma's greeting had made him stop talking and turn his head towards him. Aki quickly managed to greet the young boy first. "Welcome back, Tenma!"

"Aha! So that's the legendary Tenma, huh! _Nice to meet you!_ " the young man greeted in a mixture of both Japanese and English. Sasuke just made his usual tired sounds to also greet his owner.  
Tenma stared at the young man, puzzled. " _Nice to meet you_." he repeated the English to himself in order to try and understand what was said - and it worked. "Oh! Yes, hello! I am Matsukaze Tenma. _Nice to meet you, too!"_ he responded, proudly trying to speak some English back. It made the young man laugh. "Aki~ He really does feel like a tiny Endou, huh! Down to the soccer ball he's holding there!"  
Tenma looked down at the ball he was holding and then to the man again. "You know coach Endou? Oooh, do you play soccer?"

"Not just know! I've been with him in the Raimon team!"

"You were?" Tenma asked as he walked closer and kneeled down next to the man and petted Sasuke. In turn, the man also pet Tenma on his head, grinning. "Yeah! I'm Ichinose Kazuya. Played for Raimon, but then went back to America and proudly represented Star Unicorn there!"  
Tenma repeated the name to himself in order to remember. "Oh! Yeah! I've heard of you. Errr.... The midfield..."  
"Magician!" Ichinose grinned and gave Tenma a friendly stomp on the back.  
"So why are you here, Mr. Ichinose?" the younger midfielder asked. Ichinose just winked in response. "To see someone special," he said as he pointed at Aki. Aki, flustered, only started dusting the porch more excessively. "And once more, he barely announced his visit." Aki just said, pretending to be very angry. Both the boys could see she _was_ very happy that Ichinose was around though. "Oh!" Tenma shrieked. "Mr. Ichinose is Aki's American boyfriend?!"  
" _Bingo!_ " Ichinose laughed. "I'm not around here a lot, but with the America versus Japan friendly match coming up soon, I decided to just come by early and see how she's doing~"   
"Oh! You're playing in that match? Some of my teammates got tickets!"  
Ichinose feigned a disappointed look. "And you don't?"  
Tenma shook his head, pouting lightly. "No, it sold out so fast! But my friend Shinsuke and I will go watch it on TV together, which will still be fun!"  
  
"Akiii~" Ichinose cheered as he lifted Sasuke's head to get it off his lap. "I'm going to borrow little Tenma for a bit, okay?"

"You're rarely ever around and now you're going to run off with my relative?" Aki put the broom against the wall. "You want to go to Riverside, right? Let me just pack some food and we'll go together, Kazuya."  
"To Riverside?" Tenma asked, lightly confused. Ichinose winked again. "Well, if you can't come and see me shine live, we can still have some fun playing on the pitch there?"  
"You want to train with me?" Tenma was amazed - many sparkles could be seen in his eyes. "This sounds fun!"  
".. Yeah, this really is like a tiny Endou all right!" Ichinose laughed as he completely got up. In the meantime, Aki had gone back into the manor to grab a couple snacks and some drinks to bring along. Ichinose grabbed the ball Tenma was holding straight out of his hands. "I'll show you I'm really cool, okay?"  
"Sure!"  
  
Minutes later all four of them, Sasuke included, were underway to the Riverside pitch. Thankfully, it was very close to the Kogarashi Manor. Tenma tried to inquire a little about Ichinose's plays. With them both being midfielders, Tenma felt like he could learn a lot about how others would see this position to its full merit. Ichinose happily would take the mentor type of attitude in this conversation, sharing his thoughts and sometimes even praising his past and current teammates for the way they handled the midfield position as well. When they reached riverside, Aki sat down on the bench near the field with Sasuke laying himself down near her. Ichinose tossed Tenma's ball back to him. "So, what do you like best when playing?"  
"Dribbling!" Tenma proudly responded. "That's what I'm best at."  
"Hoo~" Ichinose cheered. "It's rare to not hear hissatsu as an answer!"  
Tenma thought about the statement for a couple seconds. "Hissatsu techniques are amazing, but that's not all to soccer, yeah? There's the teammates... playing together, making one beautiful match, that's so exciting!"  
Ichinose chuckled. He didn't want to keep repeating himself so this time he kept his thoughts to himself: this kid _really_ is just like Endou. "It really is exciting! Oh, right! So I've heard people here managed to find a new type of power through matches? What was it... kes-something?"

"Do you mean keshins?"

"Could be the name! Something only a handful of players seem to have mastered? I wonder if people on my team would get the hang of it someday."  
"I have one!" Tenma confidently said. "It's a really amazing power! My friends Tsurugi, Shindou and Shinsuke have one too! Theirs are as amazing as well!"  
Ichinose was surprised to hear it. A rare new kind of power in soccer, and a handful of Raimon players got the hang of it already? Well, that's Raimon after all.  
"So, what's your keshin like, Tenma?"  
"His name is Majin Pegasus Arc!" Tenma spread his arms proudly talking about it.

"A--- A Pegasus?" Ichinose was surprised to hear _that_ of all things.  
  
Tenma attempted to describe his inner power. "Yes! He's big.. and winged... and while he is a Majin, he feels really kind! One time, he even helped me soar!"  
"Is that so~ I suppose using keshins won't just happen anytime, would it?"

"No... it takes a lot of concentration and energy, so I'm not sure if I can just show you..."  
"It can't be helped. I'll keep an eye out anyway, I'm very curious about this Majin Pegasus Arc of yours now!" Ichinose enthusiastically said. "So, say, Tenma. What do you think my trademark is?"  
"Huh?" Tenma tried to think about it. "Mr. Ichinose's title was 'Midfield Magician', right? Then the trademark would be..."  
Ichinose stared at Tenma's face, watching the child solve the puzzle that he had given the answer to himself just seconds before. Aki, from the bench, chuckled as she caught the hint of what answer Ichinose was looking for much faster. Tenma looked over to her. He thought about how the answer must be something funny, if it made her laugh like that. "Mr. Ichinose's trademark is probably in a hissatsu technique, yes?" He asked Ichinose in order to try and solve the question. Ichinose nodded. "It is. But hissatsu itself is not the answer! So, again - what do you think my trademark is?"  
  
Tenma thought about it for a little longer, but there were _so_ many hissatsus out there - if he'd keep guessing, it'd take hours. "I don't know! What is Mr. Ichinose's trademark?"  
"You answered it just before I asked." Ichinose grinned, giving out his final hint to make sure Tenma would try again. And he did - thinking about how he talked about Majin Pegasus Arc just before, he decided to try and use it as an answer. "A... Pegasus?"  
"Yes!" Ichinose cheered as he clapped his hands. "Besides the Tri-Pegasus shot I've done with wonderful teammates, I also have a solo version of that - Pegasus Shot! Pegasi are really amazing to me. They soar and look majestic... Just like I always wanted to be."  
"You look majestic to me, Mr. Ichinose! You're probably a wonderful player!" Tenma complimented innocently. Ichinose happily put his hand on Tenma's shoulder, giving him a grateful look. "I'm happy to hear that. So, do you want to see it? My Pegasus Shot?"

"Yes!" Tenma responded enthusiastically, looking forward to the exposition of this professional foreign player he was now making friends with. Ichinose pushed Tenma's back and walked together with him towards the center of the pitch. Tenma kept a little distance to make sure he could see the shot in all its glory without being in a dangerous spot. Ichinose pointed him to a spot a bit more in-between the midfield spot and the goalpost (but safely out of the intended range for the shot) so the younger boy could see the creature a bit more from the front. "Are you ready to watch a Pegasus fly, Tenma?" "Always!" Tenma's enthusiasm was immeasurable.  
  
Ichinose smiled wholeheartedly, happy to be met with so much enthusiasm from a younger soccer player. That happy feeling really is what soccer is all about! He put the ball on the field and took a few steps backwards. He ran towards the ball, making a light jump to charge the energy to grab the ball with his feet and make a higher jump with it backwards. Throwing himself into the sky with the ball, the energy sparked around him - and the sight was met with a 'woah!' from Tenma and a 'how nostalgic' from Aki. And that's where the trademark came to light - the blue Pegasus appeared behind Ichinose and majestically spread its wings. Ichinose used his gathered energy to make the shoot and as he properly came down on the field he proudly puffed his chest, watching the Pegasus gallop past the ball he just put so much pride in. Tenma clenched his fists as he cheered for the sight. "Amazing!" He yelled right at the blue Pegasus that dissolved into the sky as the ball powerfully hit the goal's net. Tenma looked at it for a couple more seconds in awe before turning back to Ichinose. "That's brilliant! What a powerful shot! And that Pegasus was so pretty!"

"Right!" Ichinose laughed. "It always feels good to see her!"  
"Her?" Tenma asked, only to be met with slight stammering as a response. "Oh, yeah, her, because, uh...." Well, Ichinose wasn't going to admit he associated his Pegasus verily so with Aki, as she had blessed the Tri-Pegasus not once but twice, and thus in his mind would often think of Aki whenever performing the Pegasus Shot. "Because that's just how it is!"  
"Mr. Ichinose's shot is amazing! Will you try to use it in the match, too!?"  
"If I get the chance! Hey, I’d ask for you to cheer me on in the match, but your friends probably will think it weird if you were to cheer for America in a match against Japan, huh?"  
Tenma shook his head. "I don't mind who wins, so long the match is amazing! Mr. Ichinose, I'll definitely support your plays!"  
"Aah, really~? You're so nice, Tenma! I'm glad I decided to hop by and meet you!" Ichinose happily declared, then walked towards the goal to grab the ball he had shot in there just earlier. Once he got his hands on the ball, he threw it just lightly in the air and shot it right at the teenager. "Let's train a little! I'm going to steal the ball off you, okay? Show me what your dribbling is like!" He declared as he ran after it and soon try to slide to get the ball he just passed back. The two of them messed around like this for a while, happily practicing together and giving each other pointers based on their own play styles. Aki watched with a satisfied feeling, slightly reminiscing to herself what the old Raimon days were like when Ichinose still played with them, too. It had this same pure energy as she witnessed now. Yes - she was so happy to see that Ichinose was still able to enjoy soccer like this, even after the many so painful experiences the boy had gone through and having to nearly give up on soccer not once but twice in his life. When both Ichinose and Tenma showed up in front of her to ask for the drinks she brought, she just smiled at them with a radiant look that almost flustered both of them. Tenma managed to comment. "Aki looks really happy!"  
Aki nodded. "Because I am! It's really nice to see Tenma and Kazuya play together. I never would have imagined I'd be able to see that!"  
The two boys responded with the same amount of enthusiasm. "I'm so happy to be able to play with him too!"

It prompted laughter with all three of them. Both Ichinose and Tenma sat down on the grass just in front of Aki, next to Sasuke and accepted the snacks she handed out to them. The three of them spent some more time talking about (naturally) soccer, but Ichinose also sometimes filled Tenma in on what his life in America was like, even offering that he would definitely show him the greatest stadiums they have around his area if Tenma were to ever come over. Tenma was enthusiastic about this offer and pleaded to Aki that they definitely should go sometime.

Ichinose may be an opponent to Japan's national team - but to Tenma, he was now a new friend. Their Pegasus trademarks but also both their passion for soccer brought forth a gentle friendship that they both intended to hold on to, hopefully motivating each other for many years and matches to come. Connecting to each other using soccer was just that wonderful way to build any friendship within a short time span.


End file.
